India suffered a rare series defeat on Saturday, going down 0-2 to New Zealand in Pune, following a 113-run loss. India had already lost the opening Test of the three-match series in Bengaluru by eight-wickets. The two teams will now head to Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai for a dead rubber that begins on November 1.
This is India’s first Test series loss on home soil since going down 1-2 to England in 2012. Since then, India had won 18 consecutive series at home.
It is also New Zealand’s first-ever Test series win against India in India. The Kiwis had mustered draws in the past (1-1 in 1969 and 0-0 in 2003) but never gone on to win a series.

Mitchell Santner was the lynchpin in India’s fall at the Maharashtra Cricket Stadium. He took 13 wickets in the contest with seven coming in the first innings and six in the second.
With their backs against the wall coming into Day 3, India bagged the five remaining New Zealand wickets for 57 runs to be handed a monumental 359-run target.
By lunch, India had knocked 81 runs off it in 12 overs for the loss of captain Rohit Sharma’s wicket. But desperately needing more such positive returns, India suffered yet another batting collapse. In the second session, India scored 86 runs at the cost of six wickets. Between Shubman Gill’s exit to Washington Sundar’s departure, India scored just 71 runs for those six wickets.
Once again, Santner was the pick of the bowlers as he took five wickets to extend his match tally to 12 wickets. The left-arm spinner got the better of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Gill, Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan, having already dismissed Rohit in the morning session.
In the final session, Ravindra Jadeja provided a fight but couldn’t prolong the inevitable as he became the last wicket to fall.
India’s loss vs New Zealand in numbers:
# India had not lost consecutive Tests at home since 2012. The last back-to-back losses had come against England in Mumbai and Kolkata.
# The last time India lost the toss, batted second and lost a Test at home was February 2021 against England in Chennai
# India have now lost 15 Tests at home when handed a 300-plus target. Their only win came in 2008 against England when chasing 387 runs.
# India have now lost three home Tests this season after dropping one against England. India had lost four home Tests in 1969 when they conceded three to Australia and one to New Zealand. The hosts had lost three in 1983 as well.
# This is Rohit Sharma’s fourth defeat in 15 home Tests, same as Kapil Dev and Mohammed Azharuddin (both in 20 Tests each) and only behind MAK Pataudi’s nine (in 27 Tests).